Feisty skywise plans to rise

SKYWISE has hired a new
chairman who has plans
to resume commercial
operations.
Speaking exclusively to TNW
on the back of his recent
appointment as chairman
of the cash-strapped lowcost
carrier, South African
entrepreneur, Faizal Motlekar,
says he plans to turn things
around at Skywise.
Faizal, the founder and
chairman of private equity
investment holding company,
Motlekar Holdings, says
Skywise will receive delivery of
new aircraft in 2018.
“The Commercial Aircraft
Corporation of China (Comac)
will manufacture brand-new
aircraft for us,” he says.
He says the relaunch of
the airline will not be without
major challenges but knowing
that it is backed by an aircraft
manufacturer is a step in the
right direction.
Although the airline has
old aircraft it can use, Faizal
says the plans to launch
commercial flights will only
take off once the airline is
ready. “It would be premature
to provide details of our
business plan and give a
date as to when exactly the
first flight will be because
I want to plan the details
correctly to avoid repeating
past mistakes.”
Former chairman of Skywise,
Javed Malik, said the airline
would begin flights in October
this year (see TNW June 8).
Although Skywise was
grounded in December last
year after failing to pay various
airport fees to Acsa, its air
operator’s certificate is still
valid and, to retain it, the
airline needs to fly on an
ad-hoc basis.
According to Faizal, 95% of
the passengers who were left
stranded when Skywise was
suddenly grounded have been
refunded, while the other 5%
are still in dispute. “These
disputes are being sorted out
as we speak,” he says.